Page 65 of And Then There's You

“Do I have another choice?” I giggle, feeling like alcohol is literally flowing through my veins.

I stand dramatically and reach my hand for his, pulling him from his seat and tugging him toward the door. We are drunk now, but we find our way out of the speakeasy and back to the Strip much quicker than Lexy and I found our way in.

The second Troy pushes through the heavy metal door leading outside, the cold air hits me, instantly covering me in chills. As we wait at the crosswalk, Troy turns to me and rubs his hands up and down my arms, trying to warm them. When the light turns green he slides one hand down until it locks with mine, this time pulling me along behind him.

“Where are we going?” I question as we are halfway through what feels like the longest crosswalk. Seriously, is it safe for cars to drive on the Strip? It looks like there are a lot of idiots out here. How often does one of them run into the road? Wow, Maci, way to be morbid instead of focusing on having fun with this handsome man next to you.

“Not sure yet!” We make it to the other side of the street and start climbing the few steps to the walkway in front of Planet Hollywood. My feet are throbbing. I have no idea why I let Lexy talk me into heels, especially for a second night in a row, but it was one of the worst decisions I’ve made in a long time.

Moving to California has been a huge adjustment for me. It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s just not really my style. I don’t want the fancy clothes everyone wears and the fancy drinks I have to make at work every day. I like simple. Give me jean shorts and a hoodie, and I’m good to go. I cringe as I hit the top step and feel a blister already forming.

“Are you okay?” He’s looking at me, concerned.

“Oh yeah, you know. You can take a girl out of Oregon, but you can’t take Oregon out of the girl. These heels are killing my feet. I’m fine though. What do you want to do next?”

“Well, our room is right in here.” He points at the hotel in front of us. Convenient. “We could go drop your shoes off and get you something more comfortable. I think I saw a shoe vending machine in the casino. Who knew that was something that existed.”

“YES!” I shout with a smirk. Partly because I have to and mostly because I want to get out of these shoes. I stand on my toes a little higher and kiss him on the cheek as we stand outside the hotel entrance, waiting for a couple to walk through before us.

The jolt of the elevator when it starts moving toward the 18th floor throws me a little off balance. I'm more intoxicated than I thought. Thank God we didn't get a drink to go because I’m at my limit. I’m past the point of feeling nervous, but not to the point of getting emotional, which happens sometimes. I truly believe everything with Troy is in the past and we are both in different places in our lives and tonight can just be fun. I’m not trying to take advantage or lead him on, but I doubt he thinks this is more than it is.

The elevator dings and opens to a long hallway. I’m not sure why every carpet that has an odd retro pattern reminds me of the Portland airport, but that's what crosses my mind. We walk down the hallway, my arm linked in Troy’s. Without letting me go, he digs through his wallet to find his room key. Oh God, I hope Lexy and Nolan aren’t in there. It didn't occur to me until this second. Only one way to find out. But also, Troy. He looks really good in that dress shirt. He also has the straps of my heels looped around his finger–he offered to carry them when I practically ripped them off in the elevator–and for some reason it’s incredibly sexy. He unlinks his arm from mine as he turns to slide the key card into the door with his free hand.

Surprising myself, I pull on his wrist, twisting him to face me. In one smooth movement, I step forward, forcing him against the wall. I have the sudden urge to kiss him, so I do before I think twice. The second our lips meet, my heels slip out of his hand and hit the floor next to us. One hand reaches up to cup my cheek and the one with the key card presses into my lower back, pulling me closer to him and deepening our kiss. He tastes like the lime and salt after our tequila shots, and I can’t get enough.

A couple minutes go by before he pulls back slightly, as if knowing I need to catch my breath. It feels like I’m dreaming; I don’t open my eyes. I feel his breath against my ear. “I have wanted to do that for so long.”

Simultaneously, our eyes open and connect. His look full of both lust and uncertainty. I feel like mine are full of confidence, and apparently he sees exactly that because without breaking eye contact, he reaches toward the door with his key, pushing down on the handle as soon as the lock beeps.

I bend down, grab my shoes and stumble into the room because he refuses to let go of me. I laugh, but as soon as I’m through the door and it starts to close, he pushes me against it, closing it all the way and silencing my laugh with his lips. My mouth opens enough for his tongue to slide in, tangling with mine. How on earth was I shivering five minutes ago? My skin radiates heat now.

His hands move from either side of my face, down my neck, then my arms. Linking his hands with mine, he starts walking backward, tugging me toward the bed. Sitting on it, he pulls me closer until I’m standing between his legs. His hands fall to my thighs, and he runs them up my legs, pushing my dress up until he reaches the lace that separates him from me. Without hesitation, I reach for the buttons on his shirt and start undoing them slowly. I briefly consider there’s a chance Lexy and Nolan could walk in. Hopefully they don't come back anytime soon. Troy grips me tighter, rubbing his thumbs along the sensitive skin at the apex of my thighs, and our eyes lock. “What is happening right now?” he asks.

“We are having fun tonight. Like you said.” I pause and drape my arms over his shoulders, my fingers playing with the short blond hair at his neck.

“Okay, but is this “yes weekend” kind of fun, or you actually want this?” Being the spontaneous person he is, I’m surprised Troy stops to logic his way through this.

I’m not quite sure if by “this” he means whatever happens in the next hour or with “us,” but I should be clear either way, especially after what he admitted earlier.

“I mean, I’m here in Vegas because it’s “yes weekend.” I was unsure about coming because I thought it might be weird. It’s not at all. It feels like the past is the past, and I like you, Troy. But I also got out of a serious relationship recently and anything right now will be a rebound. It wouldn’t feel right. You deserve more than that too. That being said,” I drag out the last word with a smirk, “If you want to have fun tonight, there’s no one else I’d rather have fun with right–”

He cuts me off by pulling on my hips so hard I fall back toward the bed and on top of him. I hide my smile in a few kisses on his neck before pressing myself up so I’m straddling him. He moves his hands to link them under his head and stares up at me–looking satisfied already–and I move to finish what I started with his shirt buttons a moment ago.

It’s weird being here in this moment because it’s one I’d never thought I’d experience. I can’t say it's something I haven’t wondered about before, though. There are so many damn buttons on this shirt. Anticipation has been building in me, more with each button I pop free. He must lose his patience because when I get down to the last two, he yanks on either side of his shirt, ripping it apart.

Moving onto his pants, my fingers follow the waist of his jeans, running along the edge until I reach the button, twisting it open before teasing his zipper down. I feel how hard he is underneath me as I glance back at him. My hands grip onto his hips, and I can see heat in his eyes. His hand reaches down between his legs and mine, keeping eye contact. My dress is pushed up far above my waist and the only thing between his hand and me is a thin layer of black lace. His finger hooks under it and tugs it to the side, the cold air touches me right before he does.

Between the alcohol and how clear my mind is from finally relaxing into a moment for the first time in weeks, I am more than turned on enough for his finger to slide into me easily. He starts pulsing in and out, slowly at first. When he picks up speed, he uses his thumb to put pressure on my clit, and a tingling sensation shoots through my entire body. I fall forward with a moan, holding my body up on my forearms and just enough away from him that he can maintain access to me. My lips crash into his as a need for this moment overwhelms me. His finger twirls inside of me, matching the pace of his tongue in my mouth.

Unexpectedly, he pulls his finger out quickly, eliciting a gasp from me. I whine at the loss of contact, but before I can do anything else, he stands, wrapping his arms under my ass. My legs link behind him out of instinct. His mouth finds mine again as he adjusts his hold on me with one arm while he reaches around to his back pocket with the other. Still holding me tightly and with my help, he manages to kick out of his jeans.

Breaking our kiss, his teeth pinch the foil packet between his fingers and rip it open. He bounces me a little higher in his arm, as he pinches the condom out and slides it on. I hardly have time to be impressed with his skill before he’s finished.

His blue eyes open enough to take in his surroundings, and as his other arm falls to my back again, he takes the few steps over to the full wall window that looks out to the Strip. He presses me into the glass, the coldness of it sending chills up my spine.

Pulling back slightly, he adjusts himself to align with me, pushing inside when he’s ready. I suck in a breath as he fills me, and my eyes squeeze shut at the overload of sensation. He pulls back out slowly before thrusting in again, pressing me harder into the window, the frame creaking slightly. His hips continue to pump into me, bracing me to the glass with one hand pressed into my hip. He laces the fingers of his other hand through my hair, tugging back enough to give him access to my neck. “Fuck,” he mumbles against my collarbone, before kissing feverishly up my throat until he reaches my lips again. The instant our lips meld together, a heat wave shoots all the way to my toes. Pressure builds inside me as our kiss falls into sync.

Without enough warning, my orgasm rips through me, my breath catching and breaking our kiss. I can’t tell if there are fireworks exploding in my brain or if the glow from the Vegas strip behind me is seeping through my eyelids. I tighten around him, and he pushes into me, harder and faster. My lips find his again, and I swallow his groan, trying to hold myself against the window as much as I can until he slows and stills against me. His forehead glistens with sweat as he presses it against mine before leaving a soft kiss on my lips. He pulls back from my face as he pulls out, all of my nerve endings firing off inside me as he does.

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